Kathmandu, March 18:

One of the commissioners at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Lalit Bahadur Limbu, today claimed that the government should appoint him as the CIAA chief to launch its (government’s) anti-corruption drive effectively.

Limbu’s claim comes at a time when the post of CIAA chief is lying vacant for the last five months following the retirement of Surya Nath Upadhyay. Currently, the anti-corruption body is being led by acting chief Indra Kumar Shrestha.

“I am a qualified person with sufficient experience in the CIAA so that I have the claim that the government should appoint me as the CIAA chief,” Limbu told this daily today. “If the government gives me a chance, I will drive the constitutional body perfectly.”

“I am from the Janajati community with three years of experience in the CIAA, so I should get the opportunity,” he said.

Acting chief commissioner Shrestha is going to take compulsory retirement at the end of this month and if the government does not appoint more commissioners, there will be only two commissioners — Limbu and Beda Prasad Siwakoti — left. “The government has no other persons like me; so I publicly claim that the government should appoint me in the position,” Limbu said.

He claimed that he was deprived of leading the National Investigation Department (NID) “for being a janajati”. “I was not given a chance to lead the NID because I ‘m from the Janajati community. As the situation has changed this time, I have a strong claim to got the chance,” Limbu added.

He, however, said that the CIAA would perform impartiality while taking action against anyone, including those found guilty by the Rayamajhi commission report.

Meanwhile, according to a source, the CIAA is doing homework to summon regional and zonal administrators during the king’s direct rule based on the Rayamajhi report. “We have sought details from the District Administration Offices about the misuse of funds during the time. We will issue su-mmon to them immediately after getting the details,” the source added.